Metal supporting and transferring table



P. E. HUNTER.

METAL SUPPORTING AND TRANSFERRING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, I918.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920,

SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS :n: IIIIII Jam? P. E. HUNTER.

METAL SUPPORTING AND TRANSFERRING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1918. 1,352,811

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

2600 Madam/aw.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY n. HUNTER, ore anate;"Pemsnvmn. 4

surron'r'riie' Anagram-11mm TABLE.

To all whomit may concern w Be it known that I, Pnnoy EJHUNTER, a

citizen of'the -United States, residingat Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny" and State of "Pennsylvania, have invented 'certain new and useiul Improvements in Metal Supporting and Transferring Tables, of

whereby to enable thejoperator toadjust the pieceto operative :position with relationto the punch or othertooland toprovide for easy travel'toward or from the same.

In the punching of metal, the anvil 'or die block'is'usually stationary, and where various articles of different physicaldepth or thickness areto'be punched, it'necessitates the. provisionof means i for supporting the same with relation't'o a c'ommonplane of operation. I'hz weprovi ded for these conditions in my improved machine by so moiinting the supporting or carrying; rollers of the table as to be vertically adjustable to an desired position below such common plane by'the mechanism illustrated in'the drawingsfand asmo'refully hereinafter described. v r

'In the drawings, which show one preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a "general plan viewbf the apparatus partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is 'alongitudinal vertical sectional view indicated 'by the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is 'a cross sectional viewindicated by the-line III-IIIof Fig. 2; I n

Fig. 4 is-an enlargedsectional detail view showing the roller mounting *for the end of the roller shaft; 7

Fig. 5 is a crossflse'ctional jvi'ew through the upper portion "of the table showing a modified construction providing "a trackindicated way.

The punch A, which is merely located in partial diagrammatic section, is

at a suitable position with relation to the table structure which extends in opposite directions at each'si'de of the punch. and is adapted to bring the 7 metal plate, shape 'or other article to be operated upon to the I pnnch cn the plane {a erreepondin to the a e the die. v areprop'elled along on such"general planev. siu 1.; y: z: J nn Specification of Letters Patent. Patented.sep1; 114, 192() Appliati'onfiled June 29, 1918. mama-"242,568.

In the case ofplates, these on the supporting rollers Z) when 'at"'their elevated position, as indicated iaFi'gs. 2 and. 8, and substantially at their uppermost position with 'relation to the longitudinal supporting "channels 2,2. These channels are rigidly mounted along the tops "of a seriesof supporting columns or p'o's'ts 3, "3,

which may be of suitable structural shape as'I-beams "fixedly embedded iIl "'2L concrete foundation 4 providing an interior'clearance and operating pit 5. Channels 2 provide, by their upper "flat surfaces, a convenient meansfforattachmentof any ofthe several well-known spacing devi'ces infco mmon use, wherebythe table is'thus easily adapted to use therewith, as 'will'be' easilyund'erstood by those skille'd'in the art.

"Rollers b, 72,.are mounted upon supporting shafts or spindles 6 carried" in journal bean ing"? of upright members 8 of a supporting frame, each ct which constitutes the l upper member of a toggle jointed lever construction. A similar togglefr'ame' 9'isp'r'ovided by 'shaft 'l o insuitable' bearings 11 atf the lower inner portions of columns '3 and the toggle 'frames '8 and '9" meet at the common pivoting center 12 where they are connected with the. longitudinal movement; imparting members. These members 'compriseth'e connecting rods 13, connecting adj'acent"sets 'of toggle members preferably with intervening adjusting turn-buckles '14, at one side-of the endm'ost set of roller actuating toggle members, and such endmost set is connected by pivotal joint 12 'atthe other side withth'e terminals of actuatin'g 'screws15.

Inthe construction showngtwo such longitudinal sets 'of'conn'ections 13 a'nd screws 15 are provided, at each si'de of the normal center of the fm achi'nejthe screws egrtending through transverse ir'amingme'mbers 16, between whichare located piniohs 1K, the hiibs of which have threaded engagement'withthe screws 16. "An intermediate gear 18 engages -'pinions 17, I7, and-lis itself provided with an "actuating shaft 19 and wheel 20, mounted in transverse 'mernb'ers '16,

whereby pinions 17 are operated together.

Shaft '6, car ing supporting roll'ersb, b, is provided I ble21 mounted on the reduced end of the shaft and adapted to maintain the shaft and rollers b,jb, always in vertical relatiOn'tothe columns byme'aii's of vertica"lly arranges at each end with a roller think guides 22, 22, of angle form, as shownin Fig. 4. These angle guides 22 extend vertically throughout the operative travel of the roller shafts along the inner face of columns 3 and maintain the roller shafts in operative position at all times and at whatever levels they may be adjusted to.

Two such sets of supporting rollers with their adjusting mechanism are preferably utilized, one ateach sideof the die block as indicated, the construction of each being substantially the same, with their accompan ing framework.

hile the apparatus above described is adapted for manual manipulation of the piece to be operated upon, it will be readily understood that any suitable actuating mechanism'for pushing or pulling the metal may be-utilized.

Also, that while the table and its supporting columns and other parts are shown as constructed of rolled structural shapes, the several parts may be of cast construction .if-desired, or of a combination of both rolled and cast pieces.

. In Fig. 5 I show the longitudinal supporting channels 2 provided with supplemental tracks 2 adapted to support the wheels of any adaptable carriage mechanism, as indicated in dotted lines, thereby facilitating the employment of pushing or pulling apparatus for the metal being operated on, or spacing or other mechanism ordinarily used in connection with the handling, cutting'or fabricationof metal forms.

The construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description. In'the case of plates, the rollers b are ordinarily maintained at their uppermost position as shown in the drawings, the plates being propelled thereover in the ordinary manner with the partial support of the channels 2. r In the case of structural shapes, as I-beams, channels, etc, rollers 22 are lowered by the adjusting mechanism to a depth corresponding to the depth of the shape below the common plane of travel corresponding to the top of the die block or die, below which the body portion of the beam, channel, etc extends, resting upon the lowered rollers'b. Such lowered position is indicated by the dotted center lines at the right hand portion of Fig. 2, in which case the pivotal joint 12 may be lowered to the position indicated at 12 or lower, as needed.

The adjustments are easily, quickly and accurately made by the means shown and described. 7 The apparatus is extremely fiexible and capable of accommodation to a wide 7 range of-variation-in size of material, and

is especially useful and economical in the "handling. of metal of frequently varying shapes. It is comparatively simple in con structlon, can be built out of-easily available material at a minimum of machine Work, and is readily adapted to installation in connection with shears, punches, and other like machinery;

The apparatus may be variously changed in design, construction, or various details by the skilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with. a supporting framework having an upper common plane of travel, a plurality of simultaneously adjustable supporting rollers and shafts hav- 1 ing projecting terminals, ;vertically arranged guides therefor, and toggle joint mechanism for actuating all of said shafts and rollers simultaneously. 1 i

2. Supporting table mechanism for variable shaped articles having a longitudinally arranged support at each side, a plu rality of longitudinally separated supportingrollers arranged between the supports for simultaneous vertical adjustment whereby to elevate the peripheries of all of the rollers above the level of the side supports, or to depress them below such level, indi-- vidual carrying frames for the rollers, means for guiding the roller-supporting portions of the frames in their upward and downward movement, and means for imparting raising and lowering movement to the frames and the rollers carried thereby.

' 3. Supporting table mechanism for variable shaped articles having a stationary 1 longitudinally arranged support at each outer side, a plurality of supporting rollers located between the supports, shafts therefor. having projecting terminals, guiding means for the shaft terminals providing for 1 vertical travel thereof, and toggle jointed mechanism for raising and lowering all of said shafts and rollers together simultaneous y. V 4. Supporting table mechanism foryariable shaped articles having a stationary longitudinally arranged support at each outer side, a pluralityof supporting rollers located between the supports, shaftstherefor, guiding means for the shaft terminals providing for vertical travel thereof, and a series of. toggle jointed'levers-and actuating mechanism therefor for raising and lowering the shafts and rollers. Y

5.-In combination with thelaterally arranged outer longitudinal trackways and supporting members therefor having inner vertically arranged roller shaft guideways;

a plurality of rollers between the trackways and shafts thereformounted in saidguide ways,-toggle jointed actuating levers for said shafts, an adjusting screw for the levers and means connecting adjacent: actuating levers. p

6, In combination with the laterally arranged outer longitudinal trackways' and supporting members therefor having inner vertically arranged roller shaft guideways; a plurality of rollers between the trackWays and shafts therefor mounted in said guide- Ways, toggle jointed actuating levers for said shafts, adjusting screw mechanism connected with one set of actuating levers, and means connecting adjacent sets of levers provided with adjusting mechanism. 10

i In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

PERCY E. HUNTER. 

